The world today is irrevocably global. And we are so interconnected that what happens in one part of the world impacts the rest of us. For better or for worse.
So what issues are important from an international point of view?
Have lived and worked...

Catarina Alexon is an experienced visionary with a solid background at high levels internationally.
Catarina has lived and worked in, or with, the majority of countries in the world.
Long record of succeding with business development as well as...

November 2014: My Alma Mater, Lund University, decided to select their notable alumni themselves. Am delighted and honoured that I'm one of the chosen few. Take a look at all of us on their Linkedin university page
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Whatever your feelings about the Chinese, you have to give them credit for swiftly becoming a global power. It’s estimated that this year China will overtake the US and become the largest economy in the world. So what made them so successful? Watch this short video about the strategies that worked for them:

If you are already an exporter you will most likely notice that their mode of operating is no different from successful exporters of any other nationality.

But what if you haven’t yet started working outside your own country? The market is irrevocably global. Already successful at home? Then, what’s stopping you from going global? A good product or service can be successful all over the world.

Get the facts and figures

Exporting isn’t rocket science. There is no need to sign up for a seminar or take a course. The main thing is to do business. Once you have a deal you will get most information you need from the customs and tax authorities, your lawyer, bank, accountant and insurance company.

Do you have a global brand?

If not, creating one is the first step. In today’s online world we all google anything new and if Google comes up with information in a language we don’t understand we lose interest. An abundance of companies all over the world fail on the global market because they forget that in other countries nobody knows who they are. The best way to develop a global brand is to hire someone who has lived, worked/studied and integrated all over the world and knows how to develop a brand. If it’s not created by someone with a global mind, you will get a national brand translated to different languages.

Imagine the difference it would make to do business on a global scale as opposed to national.

Culture is key

How do they do business in the country you are interested in? Even in Western Europe there are differences between all countries. And when it comes to cultures different from your own, you can make a fatal mistake without knowing it if you don’t adapt. Again, find out from people with the experience is essential. It’s not for nothing one of the four building blocks for China’s success overseas is culture.

Get customers

You will neither export nor become a global success without customers.

If you are selling services it can successfully be done on social media and e-commerce is another form of export that can be done online.

But frequently there is a need to have meetings with potential customers to come to an agreement. In the West it normally works to contact companies directly. But in the developing world it’s often essential to have an introduction to get meetings with the people on high levels you need to see in order to do business there.

The key to global success is preparation, adapt to the culture, a global brand that focuses on your strengths and asking for help. Rome wasn’t built in a day and global business development can take time. You will learn from your mistakes and when you get a breakthrough globally you will find that it was worth waiting for.

Do you agree with the Chinese about the importance of the four building blocks culture, governance, processes and people? Is your brand national or global? Do you export? If so, where? Are you interested in increasing your global presence? Are you skilled in adapting to other cultures? How long did it take you to succeed globally?

42 comments to Do you know how to succeed globally?

May 4, 2014 at 17:04

Paul Grahamsays:

To succeed globally requires most of the same basics in China as elsewhere. However in one sense it is can be easier. Many companies with an ‘export mentality’ like to get more mileage out of existing products by simply packaging them for export .For small markets it may be un-economical to develop products specifically for a country. China, however can uptake massive volumes in many categories and it is very worthwhile to develop products specifically for these markets. Most importantly, many wrongly believe that prices must be low and this is completely wrong. If exclusive distributors are appointed and their margins are therefore protected excellent margins are available to exporters.

Glad you agree with me,Paul. But dont' you agree that the most important aspect of business development is having meetings to make deals. Once you have a deal, or agent/distributor, in a country you can package your products for that particular country. You can't just package your products and send them to, for instance, China. Agree with you completely that prices don't have to be low. Sometimes they actually have to be high in order for a product to succeed. Look at Chivas Regal. You would never have heard of it today if it wasn't for the high price and marketing giving the impression it's the best whisky in the world. Also true that you can develop products catering to China, Saudi & the Gulf States or India. A lot of companies actually jumped on the Made for China bandwaggon.

Yes. I take basic marketing fundamentals as a given and certainly the product ideas must evolve from face to face dialogue in the market country. I massively favor distributors over agents for that very reason though in either case direct target consumer research is advisable.

Excellent post Catarina. In my past experience, we found that knowing the culture is super important and you are right…the best way to do that is to outsource some sales/marketing to experts who live and work in the countries you hope to do business with. We were successful by following this practice.
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Thank you, Jacqueline. Agree with you. Once you have made a deal in a country you can outsource sales to them. But in many developing countries you will not get a meeting to make a deal unless you get an introduction. Doesn't matter how excellent your products are, the main thing is who you know.

Isn't it funny how often people assume what will work inside of one culture will have resonance in another? Doing business internationally presents some amazing opportunities, but it definitely requires partners clued into what works and doesn't work in other countries. I've been amazed at some of the things you have mentioned even in passing, like the necessity of Facebook in Sweden in order to do business. Facebook is popular here and lots of businesses throw up a Facebook page, but I rarely see it being used effectively.
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Glad, and not surprised, we agree Debra. The worst is when people arrive for a meeting in another country and behave and dress as if they were back home. Sometimes they even manage to insult the people they have meetings with.

Being a Pakistani, China is one country that is very close geography and geostrategy is concerned.
From sewing needle to jet plane all is from China and every thing from China is even cheaper than anything from Pakistan.
I agree with China on the importance of four building blocks as you have mentioned.
You are right about the selection of one who is from same back ground or knows the language or the culture if you want to extend the business globally. I believe today business is easier than before as we can get the information of any company etc from internet.
Unfortunately I am not into business and I do not have any brand but my family is in exports , imports and mostly they do business from China.
In between, I really loved the currency picture as I have seen Pakistani Rupee after a long time… No matter how it is suffering or devalued .. it is still dare to most of Pakistanis.

Well , I do not know about that. But it is nice to know , but it makes me wonder though , what are the factors that Africa is manufacturing on cheaper rates?
Labor , wages , electricity .. what matters most or there is any other factor involved.

I have heard numerous stories of successful companies venturing into overseas markets with the expectation that their product or service will be greeted with the same enthusiasm as it was back home. As you rightly point out this is so often not the case. Not because the product is inferior but because it may be marketed in a way that is culturally insensitive. Understanding the culture of a country in which you with to do business should be business and marketing 101.

My service can be global, of course, but I have no international clients yet. One reason is they must speak English because I am not bi-lingual. I have many followers in Great Britain and Australia, people I converse with regularly. So, although you blog is intriguing, it's not really applicable to me at this time. I think China is positioned to be the next super-power – and I agree with their four-pillar strategy.
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English is the global language, Laurie. Business all over the world is conducted in English. Sometimes you need an interpreter but that's all. Yes the Chinese four-pillar strategy applies to all of us no matter what nationality, doesn't it.

Hi Catarina
I have not and will not ever have the opportunity to business globally, but I found your post interesting in the fact that if applies to everywhere. I don’t think you can be successful in business anywhere without knowing your target market.

I agree with the four essentials you have mentioned. But also, in my opinion the other key factor in China’s success is that they have strictly kept themselves to business and do not interfere with other countries, take over them or indulge in wars etc (at least not like other nations). Chinese do take care of and respect others’ culture and have built a reputation of friendly nation resulting in their business success.

I don't have a global business but I wouldn't even consider trying to to do business in another country without retaining the services of an individual or company that understands the business environment and culture of the countries I'd be doing business with. Even though English has become the universal language of business, we have to remember that English is a second language for the vast majority of people in the world. Words have different meanings even in the same language.
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Glad you agree with me, Jeannette. You would manage with English. I did all over the world. The most difficult "English" to deal with is Hinglish. It's a mix of Hindu and English and have hence come up with new words.

As an author , i'm not likely to be in the Chinese market, but if I still had a business I definitely would be. It seems complex to deal with China , both import and export wise, but essential in any business now.
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Yes, China is a difficult culture to do business in, AK. When you call a company there, often even in Hong Kong, the receptionist only speaks Chinese (don't know if it's Mandarine or Cantonese). Tried in vain to make myself understood in 7 languages. It ended with the receptionist kust hanging up on you.

Many times people will make the mistake and assume that what will work with one culture will also work with another. If we can figure out what is required to be successful in another culture we have a great chance, although not guaranteed, of success. As the world goes smaller and we are much more interconnected in all ways, that kind of knowledge can certainly give us a leg up in this ever-growing global economy.
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Hi Catarina,
Great write up! I think the four building blocks are essential elements to success, and it is no wonder that China is set to take over the US financially. Even from a systems analysis perspective, it would be difficult to assess needs without a clear understanding of customs and people, as well as the methodologies, processes, regulations required.

My husband recently applied for a job in New Zealand, but for now we’re staying put. It’s great that he works for a worldwide company that offers such relocation possibilities and that his services can be global. As a writer and editor, I suppose that holds true to an extent, but it creates a mess of language issues to work with non-native speakers.

I have never tried to do business in another country myself, but my husband is a physician-scientist who collaborates with other scientists, governments and companies around the world. We have seen some problems that result from cultural misunderstandings. Unfortunately, some of them have had to do with men in other countries having “issues” dealing with high ranking American women.

Great post! Personally, my business is global. I don’t have any Chinese customers, but have clients from the UK, Australia, Turkey, Armenia, and soon in Italy.

Some of my business partners are in Japan and Ireland. It is really important to understand the differences in culture, but I also think a lot of it comes down to being a real person with real value you can demonstrate to people. Across the world, people have some universal values. While our differences make us unique, our values tie us together.

Glad you agree with me, Andy, about the importance of adapting to different cultures. Have personally lived and worked in, or with, most countries in the world. It would be good if values always tied us together but unfortunately that's not always the case. Have you ever lived and worked/studied outside the United States?

Indeed I agree with those building blocks. Being a finance professional within the African business space I have seen how failing to recognise culture and people can create undesired resistance that can stifle one's business goals. One cannot exclude people and culture from their business strategy on a global scale. It is key to research culture and identify with a people to succeed in doing busines with them.

There's no question that understanding the local culture of countries in which you operate is vital: possibly the most vital of the elements for ongoing success. This will really encompass the issues of people, process and governance in that country if done correctly. Brand building is equally important – but the nature of this depends on your business. Consumer brands need national and global presence, more vertical brands need to be known by their target markets and can be much more narrow…

Dealing with Chinese companies so far I've found that for them, orders are generally the most important thing. They seldom seem to care too much about brand building or sell-through and this is where things often fall down. Perhaps this is symptomatic of the technology market in which I operate, but it is a sign of a still-immature business approach. It will improve…

You have hit the nail on the head with understanding the culture of the market you want to enter. You need someone who knows and understands that culture to make your entrance into that market is a success.
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My advice in line with this article is to take a moment and think about activities in your own work or studies, where people are recognized and rewarded for performing tasks well, and even for generating locally successful results, in that case you can succeed globally